Web Design Tips & Techniques from Best Web Design

Use the Grow Digital Voucher to Fund Your New Website

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 15:07:44 GMT

If you’re running a small business in Ireland, the Grow Digital Voucher could be a game-changer. It’s designed to help local businesses adopt digital tools and that includes investing in a new, high-performance website .

Ready to get started? Contact our team today to discuss how we can help you build your new website, or improve your current website using the Grow Digital Voucher.

Website Grants & Website Subsidies in Ireland.

hello@bestwebdesign.ie (Ciaran Feighery) — Wed, 02 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Research shows that only 24% of SMEs in Ireland, currently have an online presence, and fewer still (just 11%) are actually exporting. No matter what business you are involved in you can increase your revenue by having a professionally built website or online store.

By the end of 2019, it is estimated that over 30% of retail sales in G20 countries will be made online. Currently 80% of Europeans who use the internet plan to shop online this year.

The opportunity to tap into this marketplace and get your company a website is now easier than ever before, so you cannot let this opportunity pass you by. Even though there is currently an increasing trend in online spending it is estimated that only 23% of small Irish businesses use ecommerce in any meaningful way. It is further estimated that of all online purchases made in Ireland, almost 70% are done in overseas markets.

There are dynamic new subsidies and schemes out there to help Irish businesses set up Irish online stores and Irish websites, so here’s how it can work for you.

Find yourself a good web designer, preferably from Ireland, someone who understands your business and can help you step by step to understand the full benefits for your business to get online. Remember that your website is how you are going to present your business to the world of ecommerce, so make sure you do not compromise with DIY or cheap websites.

Subsidies are available to eligible companies, so take full advantage of this incentive, and employ an Irish web designer to carry out this work. An Irish web designer will be fully aware of these subsidies. If you live in Dublin, then go for a Dublin web designer, who will be able to assist you in getting a website grant.

In order to support the goal of developing Irish websites, and Irish online stores, the Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources (DCENR) has launched a Trading Online Voucher Scheme and has teamed up with the Local Enterprise Offices to roll out the scheme under the National Digital Strategy.

The Trading Online Voucher Scheme offers small businesses the opportunity to develop their website or online store by availing of vouchers of up to €2,500 or 50% of eligible expenditure. Eligible Projects, for an Irish website development, are available to companies with less than 10 employees, with a turnover of less than €2m, and applicant business must be registered and trading for at least 12 months.

These vouchers can be used for, IT consultation, and the development or upgrade of an ecommerce website. For additional information please call our team on 00353 (0)1 465 1798 or email info@bestwebdesign.ie .

Search engine optimisation for your business.

hello@bestwebdesign.ie (Ciaran Feighery) — Thu, 01 Mar 2018 00:33:23 GMT

Affecting the visibility of your website in search results.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of affecting the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine's un-paid ("organic") search results. In general, the earlier (or higher ranked on the search results page), and more frequently a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive, and the more business it will generate. With this in mind we need to find out what do we need to know to get good SEO.

SEO is a task that needs to be carried out by a person with thorough knowledge of how the search engines operate. A number of companies and individuals will tell you they will get you page 1 rankings on the search engines, and some will actually achieve this for you using obscure “Key” words or phrases, but the question is, does it achieve the desired results (more business for you)? The reality is that the internet is growing at a massive rate and there are hundreds and thousands of businesses just like yours trying to get the prime positions, and get the edge or the rest to generate increased business or more sales.

SEO is a work in progress and needs constant attention on an almost daily basis to achieve any worthwhile results. The process is slow (it involves re-phrasing key words, article writing, back links to and from your site, and a multitude of painstaking attention to detail of current trends to achieve any notable results. The SEO operative needs to know exactly what to do, and the latest SEO requirements, and have constant updated information to achieve the desired results. Bearing in mind that the search engines do not want you to get in prime positions (without paying for the privilege) so they constantly change how they rate websites and “move the goalpost” regularly.

A good SEO operative will help your ranking on Google but at a cost. This cost will be based on a number of factors but primarily on how many key words or key phrases will be used. SEO is slow, detailed work and needs constant attention to the detail and updating in line with the search engine’s ever changing policies. If you decide to go down this road make sure you use a company or individual that is recommended to you, as even some of the “Big” companies here do not achieve the desired results, and a lot of money may be wasted. Make sure you can measure the results and don’t take your eye of the ball. Be very careful about signing up to 6 month or 12 month plans.

Assuming one gets a reliable SEO implemented this will only bring your site up to possibly page 1 or 2 of Google, and is often not enough to generate sales. The prime positions on page one are generally allocated to “Pay Per Click”, Customers or Clients of the search engines who pay a premium for this service.

If you require any information on our services you can visit www.bestwebdesign.ie , email info@bestwebdesign.ie or call 00353 (0)1 465 1798 .

Why your business needs a responsive website.

Thu, 01 Mar 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Does your business have a responsive website?

As a small business owner you must have a responsive website for your business. If you do not already have a responsive website, then you should ask yourself why not? Is it you can’t afford the cost? Or maybe don’t have the time? Or is it you are not technically minded? Or maybe you don’t see the benefit of having a responsive website for your company. Whatever your excuse you really need to address the negatives a get cracking to discover the steps you need to take to get your new website up and running as soon as possible.

A small business without a responsive website in modern times is a recipe for disaster! You must take the necessary steps to get online with your business immediately. Your website design is not something to take lightly and really is a job for a professional web designer. Never forget that your new website will represent your company or business online, and your new website will level off the playing field, particularly for a small or medium sized business, and can give the “Big-Boys” a run for their money.

So, what is the problem? Let’s take a look at some of the challenges:

You cannot afford the cost?
Did you know that with the trend ever increasing towards online spending it is estimated that only 23% of small Irish businesses are engaged in any meaningful way in e-Commerce sales. Grants are available from €2500 for eligible companies. You can, and should apply for a web design grant.
You have not got the time?
If this is the problem then you really need to check your marketing plan. You must know that a new website will save you lots of time. Yes, it may take an initial little effort but overall a company without a website is really not in business.
You are not technically minded?
If you employ a good web designer you do not need to have any technical knowledge. Your web designer can look after all of this. All you will need is the basic information about your business and a good designer can do the rest.
You don’t see the need for a website?
We will not go into all of the benefits for your company to have a responsive website, but let’s look a few. A good website will save you time, save you money and make you money. A good website will show your goods or services not only to your immediate customer base but also to potential customers and clients worldwide, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A good website can be used as a reference for all previous good work and examples of your goods or services and can also act as an endorsement by previously happy customers who will tell new prospects how good your company is.

So what’s keeping you? Visit our portfolio now and check out the number of successful websites we have already created for our very happy clients throughout Dublin & Ireland. It can cost you less than you think.

If you require any information on our services you can visit www.bestwebdesign.ie , email info@bestwebdesign.ie or call 00353 (0)1 465 1798 .

Understand Google AdWords and PPC.

Wed, 28 Feb 2018 22:31:30 GMT

Enable a prime position for your business on Google’s search results.

PPC (Pay Per Click) is a service of internet marketing provided by Google (and other search engines), whereby the advertiser will pay an agreed fee every time one of their advertisements are clicked. This enables your advertisement a prime position on Google’s pages and makes it visible for potential customers who have searched for your product or service. Basically it is a way of buying your way to prime positions in the search engine.

The system works by allowing the advertiser to bid for advertisement placement in the search engine’s links when someone searches on a relevant keyword. For example if you search for ink cartridges for your Epson printer, and use the keywords “ Epson Inks ” the first 4 results on the top of page 1 will usually be paid spots.

Every time your ad is clicked, you will have to pay the search engine a fee. This fee will largely depend on the product or service you provide, but is usually quite small. The fee paid can be minimal when compared to the profit or margin made on the end product, depending on what you may be selling, and it is quite easy to measure the cost by the results achieved.

A lot of time is required for PPC management and monitoring and you should be prepared to learn how to use the system, and devout about 1 hour per day to managing your advertisements, or you may end up wasting a lot of money. Google have an excellent step by step learning method, but time and effort is required to master, and maintain this. The easiest thing to do is to go to Google AdWords , sign up and experiment. You will find Google provide excellent tuition and assistance, with a phone in help desk, for any problems.

If your ads and landing pages are useful and helpful to end users, Google may charge you less per click, which will result in higher profits for your business. So if you decide to start using PPC, it’s important to learn right, or alternatively pay someone who is knowledgeable of the system to do it for you. Again caution is required and try to secure someone who is recommended to you and will not waste your marketing Euros.

The cost of your PPC campaign is very transparent but the system Google use to determine how your advertisement is shown can be complicated. Just remember what Google want is to satisfy the end user by providing the best result that matches the keywords they use to find what they are looking for.

The minimum bid needed, the cost per click, the daily budget you decide to use, the location you want your advertisements to reach, the specific type of person you want to reach, the time of day you want them showing, and just about every detail is manageable by you. Remember you are in the driving seat at all times, with full control of all the features of your campaign.

Relevant Keywords are the key to success with AdWords. Your whole PPC campaign is built around having the right keywords. So some keyword research is essential to drive valuable customers to your advertisements and web site. Google will recommend numerous keywords for you but remember you only want customers that will purchase your products or services so beware of using wrong keywords. Again there are tutorials and advice within Google to assist here.

Setting up your advertisements are simple enough and step by step instructions are provided on the AdWords site, so if your business needs some online marketing, this is one such vehicle for you to try.

If you require any information on our services you can visit www.bestwebdesign.ie , email info@bestwebdesign.ie or call 00353 (0)1 465 1798 .

Get thinking about your online business.

hello@bestwebdesign.ie (Ciaran Feighery) — Wed, 21 Feb 2018 19:41:58 GMT

A couple of tips to get you thinking about your online business.

What product or service do you want to sell most of, and what do you do best?
In our experience we found that online trading differs from in-store trading dramatically and one of the more common mistakes some online retailers tend to make is trying to fill up their online shop with range. Yes range and choice is very important but online the real secret to success is to know what products or services that deliver value to the customer and profit to the seller, and then to focus on these products or services. You know your own business better than anyone else. Focus on this particular product or service then check the market place and see what others are offering. Now ask yourself if you can do it better, do it cheaper, do it more efficiently, or can you offer a better service. Focus on the results and design your marketing campaign around your findings. Don’t forget that you are an expert in your particular field, and people like to deal with experts. While on this subject make sure that if you have products or services that do not deliver value or margin, get rid of them now.
Do you use “Birdseed” to entice your potential customer & to find your ideal customer/client?
Birdseed is a special attraction that you offer your potential customer or clients to sample your service. It may be a free guide, a free sample or a drastically reduced product. It may be specialist advice that is of value to the recipient. Your birdseed must be of value or assistance to your potential customer or client, and should have them coming back for more. The sole purpose of your “Birdseed” should be to establish contact and get your customer’s/client’s contact details, so make sure they fill in a form, or send you an email before you send your offer.

Once you have these details you can start the sales process. Understand that success is only won through consistent reliability, and good service. Price is not always the deciding factor in getting a new customer, but we must accept that the purpose of our business is to attract and retain customers/clients.

Always remember we must make and deliver on all our marketing promises, and the offer of a full money back guarantee online is a must. If you can satisfy your client or customer on the initial sale, everything else will follow on.

If you require any information on our services you can visit www.bestwebdesign.ie , email info@bestwebdesign.ie or call 00353 (0)1 465 1798 .

A strong internet presence is a necessity.

hello@bestwebdesign.ie (Ciaran Feighery) — Mon, 19 Feb 2018 21:27:49 GMT

Select a Dublin web designer with a proven track record.

A strong internet presence is “must have” for any business owner who is serious about developing and maximising their business. If you select a Dublin web designer with a proven track record, this is the best start you can make. Select a Dublin web designer with a transparent pricing structure and you are well on your way to the ideal web design solution for your business.

In today’s world when people want to make a purchase they usually go on the web to explore the possibilities for the item they are seeking. It goes without saying therefore that a good website or online store is paramount to presenting your business to the masses. Your website should present your company or store in a professional manner, it must be user friendly and search engine friendly to get your wares in front of your potential customers. This requires specific expertise which will be found with a professional web design company in Ireland.

Best Web Design in Dublin are at the forefront of web design and web promotion in Ireland. When you choose a professional web design company to develop your site ensure you check out their portfolio of developed websites . Make a call to one of the businesses you see and ask them their opinion of the service they receive from the selected company, then contact the web design company yourself for details.

Best Web Design Dublin have experienced web designers and a development team that are second to none. We can create an efficient web site or online store for you that will transform how you do business and ensure you are moving into the future armed and ready for today’s business challenges. At Best Web Design Dublin we provide Web Design, Graphic Design, SEO, Web Hosting, Video Work and all Web design services.

Some of the benefits of employing Best Web Design Dublin to create your online store or website are:

A website or online store that reflects your company professionally.
A great price, probably the best package in web design in Ireland.
An agreed timescale to complete the commission.
Full training and information on back office adjustments you may need to make.
Ongoing assistance included on a monthly or yearly basis.
Assistance by phone for any problems you may experience.
A personal service with plain language guidance and assistance.

Best Web Design Dublin will create your website or online store with the correct content which will keep your potential customers better informed in a straightforward plain speaking manner. We will ensure that your site is easy to navigate and shop, we will do it in an efficient timely manner, and we will do it for a very competitive price with ongoing maintenance if required.

If you require any information on our services you can visit www.bestwebdesign.ie , email info@bestwebdesign.ie or call 00353 (0)1 465 1798 .

Use email to market your business and services.

hello@bestwebdesign.ie (Ciaran Feighery) — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Using email to send ads, request business and solicit sales.

Email marketing is directly marketing a commercial message to a group of people using email. It usually involves using email to send ads, request business or solicit sales and is meant to build loyalty, trust or brand awareness.

Email marketing can be done by either purchased lists or your current customer database. It is probably one of the most underused resources by most companies, so make sure you get the email address of all of your customers and potential customers. The best way to achieve this is to offer them something for nothing. A special offer, some useful information, some advice, a free eBook, a special sign-up bonus or reduction, or other such offer that will make them want to give you their details. Endeavour to get not only their email address but also their mobile phone number (Useful for text marketing, instant contact and delivery).

Once you have your list use it to remind your customers that you are still around. Tell them about any changes in your business, special offers, some helpful tips or advice, and get the message across to them that you appreciate their business and want to do more for them. In today’s world with so much information available it is important that the right information from a trusted source is given. It is just so very important to build up and maintain a good working relationship with all your clients and customers, so do not underestimate the importance of staying in touch. Regular contact is the best form but make sure you do not spam your clients, or send out any old rubbish (Ask yourself this question, in what way can I give added value to my clients). Remember you must get permission from your clients before you send unsolicited information to them.

Make your information short and to the point and ensure that any information is of value to your client and not you just “blowing your own trumpet”.

Your list of customers is probably the best tool you have to develop your business at very little cost. The size of the list is not as important as to the quality of the clients listed, as the numbers will grow and grow. There are a number of tools and services available to help you stay in contact with minimal effort, think auto-responders, and mailing companies such as AWeber , Constant Contact , InfusionSoft , to name just three. So now get creative and think “How can I help my clients and get more business from my website”. And start mailing now.

If you require any information on our services you can visit www.bestwebdesign.ie , email info@bestwebdesign.ie or call 00353 (0)1 465 1798 .

Use deal sites to increase your website sales.

hello@bestwebdesign.ie (Ciaran Feighery) — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 00:00:00 GMT

A marketing trend that can be of great benefit for your business.

A marketing trend that can be of great benefit are Deal Sites and the special offers they provide. There are numerous Deal Sites that operate from Ireland, among the most popular are: Groupon, DealRush, Pig’s Back, Grab One, Living Social, and Mighty Deals to name just a few. In addition to these Deal Sites a number of energy and service suppliers, such as: An Post, Electric Ireland, and Energia, are also using their customer base to promote an array of different deals, usually sent to their customers accompanied by their bill.

Most deal sites operate by a direct email offer to their extensive client lists, of special offers, such as cheap hotel breaks, reduced meals, makeovers, massages, and an array of, mostly service orientated offers that are usually up to half the normal price with limited availability, or some restrictions. This marketing tool works very well and gives the end user the feeling of really good value for money, and a real bargain.

Deal Sites are worth a look if your business can manage to meet their criteria, usually 50% off recommended retail price to the customer, in addition to the deal site margin which is usually between 20 and 35 percent. So as you can see one would want to have a huge mark-up on product to re-sell through this system and make money, but using a little imagination and lot of thinking about your own business you might just come up with an offer that works for you. Think outside the box, and make sure it suits your business objectives. See the end result of what you want to achieve using these vehicles and, “if the cap fits, wear it.”

The Deal Sites usually deliver a huge response and a lot of added customers & emails, which can be worth the reduced margin. If you are going to use these addresses ensure you get permission (from the recipient) to email your new (and existing) customers with further special offers that you may provide. Using these sites is a great way to increase your existing customer base, but remember you must get permission to email any offers out yourself. (Think auto responders or add-on to offer letters etc.) Check out the deal sites yourself for any further information, and remember it’s no good being a busy fool so make sure you think the offer right through before deciding to go ahead.

If you require any information on our services you can visit www.bestwebdesign.ie , email info@bestwebdesign.ie or call 00353 (0)1 465 1798 .

Making the most of your small business website.

Tue, 30 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Using your website in your overall marketing plan.

The Managing Director or Owner of a company has got to wear a number of different hats, we all agree but marketing has got to be the most important of these! Your website or online store won’t be much use to you unless you use it in your overall marketing campaign. Getting the customer is what it's all about, so with this in mind, let’s look at some of the ways your website or online store could be used in your marketing plan.

Do you change your homepage when you change your shop window? You would be surprised how many companies ignore the most important part of their websites (the homepage) and do not update them in accordance with the seasons or trends. Check your Homepage out now and see if that is the very best you can do, and if you are happy with your potential customer’s first impression of your site.
Do you advertise your website everywhere possible? Is it on all company cars, vans, and trucks? If you have a shop-front, factory, or office is your website advertised on the windows, doors, and even the shutters for FREE advertising at night-time and weekends. Do you have your website on all your corporate stationary, advertising, mailers, receipts, invoices, samples, leaflets, and other such commonly used items?
Are you constantly looking for ways to improve and update your site content and keywords?
Are you promoting your site online in every feasible way? Are you listed in all relevant local & national directories?
How many streams of sales have you established online? Do you use eBay , Amazon , DoneDeal , Adverts.ie , Deal Sites , etc., or do you solely depend on a new customer finding your site by chance.
Do you have a Facebook , Twitter , Linked-in , Pinterest , YouTube and Instagram Business page? Do you use it, to let your followers know what’s going on in your business?
Do you have an online shop? Should you? This depends of course on what your business is and what you sell, but open your mind and consider if this is a suitable vehicle for you to sell more products or services.
Are you collecting and using all email addresses, and keeping in contact with your established customers. Do you ensure that all special offers and deals you offer are sent to your existing clients or customers first?
Are your family, friends, employees, suppliers and anyone else you can think of aware of your website, would they mention it on their social media accounts to promote your website? Do they have websites that you could create back-links to?
Do you have a list of your customer’s mobile phone numbers, if so do you use WebText services for specials? Do you use direct mail to your existing and past customers?

These are just a few examples of how to promote your online business and website, there are numerous other ways but start something new from the above list today, and you may be pleasantly surprised.

If you require any information on our services you can visit www.bestwebdesign.ie , email info@bestwebdesign.ie or call 00353 (0)1 465 1798 .